


a heavy weight to bear

by yoongify



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Modern Royalty, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, and sungyeon is his sister, just take it and go with it, not set in any particular time, seungkwan is jeongcheol's kid, there's a lot of age gaps that don't make sense in real life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-02-25 23:16:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13223298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoongify/pseuds/yoongify
Summary: seungkwan was a free soul - he wanted to travel the world! see places and people and luxuries from every corner of the earth! not get tied down in a marriage he didn't even want in the first place. now he's stuck, trapped in a gilded cage away from the people and places he loves by none other than the handsome prince vernon choi.he never wanted this life, but he was going to make the most of it.ORin which seungkwan gets married, vernon takes the title of king, and their hearts break in a way they never considered it could. love, a crown, guilt - what heavy weights to bear.





	1. seize the day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which seungkwan is a(n understandable) mess and vernon manages to be in the wrong place at every wrong time

“What do you mean I have to have an _arranged marriage_?!”

Choi Seungkwan was seventeen, and he should have been traveling the world, tasting food from exotic countries and buying more souvenirs than one person really needed.  Choi Seungkwan was seventeen, and he wanted to try every wine the world had to offer while wearing fabrics from every country. Choi Seungkwan was seventeen, and he was ready to leave the stuffy palace, with its rules and restrictions and Common Courtesies.

Choi Seungkwan was barely seventeen, but he was more than ready to live his own life. Not be stuck playing housewife in someone else’s.

Choi Seungkwan was seventeen, and his world was crashing down around him.

Jeonghan, his papa, (because growing up with two dads was confusing if you called both of them ‘dad’ or ‘father,’ and his little five year old mind chose ‘papa’ so that every time he screamed “DAD!” he wouldn’t have them both running to him from opposite sides of the castle) sighed, tucking a strand of his long, long hair behind his ear. “Boo, you know we wouldn’t normally do this, but we really didn’t have a choice.”

Seungkwan grit his teeth, stomping his foot into the tiles of the throne room. (He knew he was too old for that, but he honestly didn’t care.) “I’m _seventeen,_ Papa! I wanna go to India, and eat curry while wearing colourful silks! I wanna go to Europe and learn French and buy real croissants and bring you back berets and crazy stories. I— I wanna _see the world_ , Papa, but I can’t do that if you tie me down to some foreign ruler I don’t even know the name of!”

Seungcheol pinched the bridge of his nose, turning to Jeonghan with a frown. “I _told_ you he wouldn’t like it, Jeonghan. We can’t just _force_ him—”

“Oh yes we can.” Fire burned in Jeonghan’s eyes. “Choi Seungkwan, once you get married you are free to travel the world as you please, but until then you will remain in the castle. No more trips to the market ‘cause you wanted to buy Sungyeon some new earrings. No more meeting that ahjumma for free bulgogi and kimchi on Sunday just ‘cause she’s sweet, even though we have a world-class chef here. Nothing.”

“But—”

“No buts!”

_“Papa—”_

It was Seungcheol’s turn, and he looked at Seungkwan with more helplessness than he’d ever seen before in his eyes, even more than when the Japanese Queen had declared war and King Seungcheol had to send their citizens into a war he wasn’t sure they’d win. “Seungkwan, we wouldn’t do this unless we absolutely had to. The West is threatening war, boo, and we don’t have the strength to defeat them in a war. Especially not now, when we’ve just lost Japan’s support.”

“Dad, what if they don’t even speak Korean? I don’t know any English!” Seungkwan could feel the tears in the corners of his eyes, hot and stinging and unrelentless, and he gulped, trying to hold them in. “Please don’t, Dad!”

“Kwannie—” Seungcheol sighed, grabbing Seungkwan by the shoulders. “We rule the country, right?” Seungkwan nodded, tears slowly making their way down his round cheeks and to the tiled floor. “One of the hardest lessons we have to learn as leaders is that sometimes, we have to give up our own happiness for the sake of the people. We want everyone to be happy, so we let them — and then only we have to suffer. You understand, right?”

“I understand,” Seungkwan wailed, “but for once — _just this once_ — I want to be selfish and I _can’t_.”

“Oh, _Kwannie—”_

“Oh. Um.”

Seungkwan turned around, tears still flowing freely from his face, noticing a figure by the door, his vision too obscured by his tears to see much more than a silhouette.

“Is this a bad time?” the figure said in stilted Korean. “I can— I can always come back later.”

Jeonghan started towards the door, long hair flowing freely above navy blue robes. “You must be Vernon Choi.”

“Um, yeah.”

“That’s him,” Seungcheol whispered, wiping Seungkwan’s tears with the hems of his royal red robes, matching Jeonghan’s nearly perfectly. “That’s His Highness Vernon Choi of the Western Kingdom. That’s who you’re going to marry.”

“Perfect,” Seungkwan hissed, letting himself be dragged towards the doors of the throne room, “I don’t even want to get married but the first thing my future fiancé sees of me is  me just _bawling_ , how could this day get any worse—”

They stopped in front of Vernon, who gave Seungkwan a small, awkward smile. _“Fuck,”_ Seungkwan breathed out, _“fuckfuckfuckingfuck—”_ because of course Vernon would not only walk in at the most awkward time possible but also be one of the hottest guys Seungkwan had ever seen.

“Seungkwan, sweetie,” Jeonghan cooed, voice saccharine sweet, “This is Prince Vernon Choi of the Western Kingdom, and your betrothed. Come say hi!”

“Papa—” he whined, but Jeonghan was a force of nature, as unstoppable as the hurricanes that swept through cities and as ground-shaking as the earthquakes that toppled mountains. And now he was face to face with Vernon, and he _knew_ that he was an ugly crier and why did he have to come _now_ of all times—

Something snagged under his foot, ankle twisting awkwardly on itself as he tipped forward, hands flying out only to grasp the front of Vernon’s suit, smacking straight into him and taking him down to the ground. One of Seungkwan’s hands was pressed firmly against Vernon’s chest, squished between Seungkwan’s emerald green robes and Vernon’s dark blue suit, so dark it was nearly black, a clean, white shirt peeking out from underneath the pressed blazer. His other hand was beside Vernon’s head, fingertips brushing soft brown hair.

Behind him, Seungkwan could hear Jeonghan laughing, a light, tinkling thing that had Seungcheol breaking out what Seungkwan liked to call the Dad Laugh, a large, booming laugh that sounded like a drum, or thunder crashing in the middle of a storm.

“So,” Vernon said, bringing Seungkwan’s attention back to their current position on the floor, “can I now say you’re falling for me, or…?”

Seungkwan blushed, pushing himself up so he was now straddling Vernon’s hips (was this any less incriminating? Probably not.) “I don’t even know you and you’re using cheesy pickup lines on me.”

“I mean, you’re basically on top of me and we almost kissed like ten seconds ago, so…” Vernon trailed off, shrugging, a smirk dangling off his lips. (They looked soft, and Seungkwan kinda wanted to kiss him to test that theory.)

“So?” Seungcheol asked from behind the two, barely managing to stifle giggles. “How do you feel about marriage now, boo?”

Seungkwan looked back at Vernon — at the way the setting sun turned his hair golden, at his pink lips, at his smooth, pale skin, at the brown eyes that seemed to just keep pulling him in deeper — and said, “Y’know, I might be willing to give it a try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so,,,,  
> this was created and written on a whim and i don't know what i'm doing tbh
> 
> seungkwan's surname is choi (as is jeonghan's) because in this au, he (and sungyeon from pristin) were adopted by jeonghan and seungcheol at a young age, and took their surnames, and jeonghan and seungcheol have been married for years. (han and cheol's nickname for seungkwan is boo, though, to try and keep some of his original surname in the fic.)  
> i've used the name vernon (instead of hansol) because in this au vernon is pretty american, and vernon is his american name.
> 
> if you have any other questions regarding this au, feel free to ask! i don't bite ^-^
> 
> feedback is much appreciated and always welcome!
> 
> ~ aura <333


	2. i'm wearing white

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which seungkwan regrets his rash decisions

“I still can’t believe I agreed to this!” Seungkwan wailed, burying his face in his hands. “I’m getting married, Papa. _Married!_ And I’m still only seventeen!”

Jeonghan pet Seungkwan’s head, murmuring softly to him as he went through what must have been the third or fourth existential crisis of the night. “Boo, you can still travel the world once you’re married.”

“That’s not the point!” Seungkwan was nearing tears again. “Papa, what if I fall in love with someone else?”

“Then you fall in love with someone else,” Jeonghan replied, wiping tears from Seungkwan’s face with gentle fingers. (They were lucky he hadn’t gotten his makeup done yet, or there would be hell to pay from Jihoon, the only one Jeonghan trusted to properly tailor and style for them.)

“I’m wearing white,” Seungkwan whispered, shock evident on his round face. “Dad’s gonna walk me down the aisle in my white robes and I’m gonna have to say wedding vows to someone I met two weeks ago.” He paused his rant, fury momentarily overtaking his soft features. “Wait, why am _I_ taking the role of the bride? I’m a dude too!”

“Because you’re becoming the Prince Consort for Vernon Choi, honey, not the other way around.”

Jihoon entered the room then, trademark pink hair glowing under the light of the lamps placed around the room. “If you stained your robes I _will_ murder you — forget treason, it’s betrayal to the highest degree if you ruin anything I make.”

“They’re clean,” Jeonghan said, watching with amusement as Jihoon pulled Seungkwan to a standing position, examining every inch of the pristine white robes, adorned with silver embroidery that sparkled under the warm glow of the lights. The top layer of fabric — some sort of chiffon or tulle, something flowy — drifted with each of Seungkwan’s movements, gently flitting back and forth as Jihoon pushed it aside with soft hands. Jeonghan was overcome with a tidal wave of emotions, something riding up and catching in his throat, tears bubbling up in the corner of his eyes. “Boo, you look… you look so pretty.”

Long swaths of white silk were draped on Seungkwan’s slim figure, pooling at his feet. The tips of dark blue shoes were barely visible under the pristine fabric, silver embroidery made of threads so fine they nearly disappeared twisting up the fabric. The robes were held in place by two silver clips, one on each shoulder, shaped into two intricate sets of leaves and vines that matched the embroidery trailing along the fabric. The kingdom’s insignia, waves with full moon, was stitched carefully and painstakingly into the chest area of Seungkwan’s robes, small gems sewn into the silk, glimmering with every movement. The long sleeves stopped just above his fingertips, the backs of them reaching down farther, like little ribbons, swimming through the air with every gesture. You couldn’t see it, but beneath the silken robes was a thin, white cloth shirt, matched with the cloth pants whose legs you could just barely see beneath the hems of the robes.

“I’m pretty,” Seungkwan murmured, fingering the material of the robes, “but I don’t want to look pretty for _him_.”

“Boo, you don’t have a choice—”

“In traditional Western weddings,” Jihoon interrupted, mouth full of hairpins and sewing pins and what looked like an eyeliner pencil, “the bride —  or in this case the other groom — wears a veil to cover their face, and wears white, and carries a bouquet.” Jihoon shrugged, brushing through Seungkwan’s hair with his slim fingers. “And this is _technically_ a traditional Western wedding so the groom’s parents requested you wear a veil and carry a bouquet up to the altar.”

Seungkwan groaned, attempting to run a hand through his just-styled hair (which Jihoon stopped with a slap and a glare). “I didn’t even want an Eastern wedding and now I’ve got to go along with Western traditions?”

“Basically. Close your eyes,” Jihoon mumbled, tugging at Seungkwan’s face before drawing on a thin line of eyeliner, making his eyes look rounder and more of a deep brown than black. He pulled a veil out (from where, Jeonghan didn’t really know) — a beautiful, tulle-netting and gauze thing with gems woven in that matched the diamonds on his robes, a small comb holding the netting together. It was long — once Jihoon had placed it on Seungkwan’s head and secured it with some pins, it came down nearly to his waist, brushing softly against the white silk.

“Y’know, for most people this would be a happy day,” Jeonghan commented idly, watching as Jihoon flitted around Seungkwan like a fairy, pinning and fixing and touching up on everything that was just a hair out of place.

“Yeah, well, I’m not _most people_ ,” Seungkwan spat out, gritting his teeth. “And today is _definitely_ not a happy day.”

Thankfully, Seungcheol chose that moment to push open the large wooden door, popping his head through with a “Ready to go down that aisle yet?”

Jihoon shoved Seungkwan towards the door before he could even open his mouth, placing a bouquet in his hands. “Oh, he’s ready, all right.”

“Perfect!”

Jeonghan laughed as he followed the two out the door, readjusting the crown on his own head before reaching up to fix Seungcheol’s. Another set of heavy wooden doors, this time decorated in swirls of blue and red and gold, rose up in front of them as Seungcheol pulled Seungkwan by his elbow onwards and onwards and onwards.

The familiar tune of the wedding march drifted out between the doors as Seungcheol pulled one open, Jeonghan finally catching up and taking his place on Seungkwan’s other side. Light flooded the large hall, the carpet leading up to the altar strewn with white and navy petals, the stained glass windows painting a rainbow across the floor. Vernon stood at the altar, clad in a navy blue suit similar to the one he’d worn when they’d met two weeks ago, but this time it was embroidered with shining golden thread that sparkled in the light drifting in through the windows.

Together, the three walked down the imposing aisle laid down before them, a bouquet of blue and white somehow in Seungkwan’s hands. Sungyeon, Seungkwan’s younger sister was standing by the altar in a peach and cream dress, flowers in her hands. _She must be one of the bridesmaids — er, groomsmaids_ , Jeonghan thought. Another girl was standing next to Sungyeon — she looked to be about the same age, maybe a year younger. _Vernon’s sister?_

Jeonghan and Seungcheol left Seungkwan at the altar, claiming their own spots at the front of the room as the priest began to speak, something about a holy union and sacred vows.

(If Jeonghan was going to be completely honest, he tuned out during their wedding vows — he was never one for sappy, honey-coated words, especially when neither person really meant them.)

“Do you, Vernon Choi, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Jeonghan had to give Vernon credit — his voice didn’t falter or shake as he said “I do,” filling the large room with its rich sound, warm like the sunlight streaming through the windows.

The priest then turned to Seungkwan, asking, “Do you, Choi Seungkwan, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Jeonghan inhaled sharply, holding his breath as his baby, his precious little Seungkwan choked out an ‘I do,’ voice wavering and unsteady and too unsure to really be true. _I’m sorry_ , his mind cried, as Seungkwan turned back to face Vernon with a smile on his lips but something akin to despair in his deep brown eyes, auburn hair glowing in the sunlight.

“Then I pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss.”

Vernon lifted Seungkwan’s veil with a gentle, steady hand, holding Seungkwan’s face for a moment before pulling him in for a quick, chaste kiss that had the crowd rising in cheers, too busy celebrating to notice the way a tear slid down Seungkwan’s face, or the way that Vernon wiped it away as quickly as it had come.

_A happy day for some indeed,_ Jeonghan thought, a wry smile gracing his lips. _But for all? Of course not_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you have any questions regarding this au, feel free to ask! i don't bite ^-^
> 
> feedback is much appreciated and always welcome!
> 
> ~ aura <333


	3. twenty million suitcases

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which jeonghan is an overprotective mama and seungkwan heads overseas

“Are you sure you packed everything?”

“Papa.” Seungkwan let out an exasperated sigh, gesturing to the many suitcases strewn about the room. “I have enough clothes to last me probably several decades, and Jihoon-ssi is coming with me, so I have no reason to worry about clothes. I don’t have to worry about food either because I’m literally just moving from one palace to another, and all my possessions  _ plus _ some stuff that you added that isn’t even mine is stuffed into the remaining suitcases. All in all you’ve probably packed my entire life into these twenty or so suitcases, so  _ yes _ , I packed everything.”

“My only son is moving away to the Americas — of course I’m worried he’ll forget something!” Jeonghan hissed, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He pulled Seungkwan into a hug, pressing him tightly against his chest. “My baby Seungkwan — I’m going to miss you so much, boo.”

_ “Papaaaaa—” _

There was a light knock on the door, (even though it was already open) and the two separated to see a very happy Seungcheol, along with two other men. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Jeonghan replied, crossing the room to be enveloped by Seungcheol’s arms. “I missed you.”

“Papa, you literally saw him not even two hours ago—”

“Seungkwan,” Seungcheol interrupted, petting Jeonghan’s hair softly, “these are your new assistants-slash-bodyguards, Kim Mingyu and Lee Chan. They will be accompanying you to the Americas and will remain with you until circumstances dictate otherwise.” He gestured to the two men in the doorway — one was tall, with tan skin and piercing dark eyes, and the other was just slightly shorter than Seungkwan himself, with a sort of  _ youthful _ air about him.

“So until they die or retire?” Seungkwan guessed, rolling his eyes when Seungcheol nodded. “That’s basically how all royal employer contracts work, Dad.”

“I know, but I had to make it formal for  _ their _ sake!”

Seungkwan opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, the tall, tan man stepped forwards, extending a hand. “Kim Mingyu, at your service.” His grip was firm — Seungkwan could already tell he was well-muscled and fit for the job — and he looked very professional in a light gray suit, black hair coiffed up and to the side. He looked like a model, to be honest.

“He’s only a year older than you,” Seungcheol said, “so I figured he’d also be a friend for when you go overseas. Y’know, because they all speak English there and you don’t.”

“Oh. Thanks, I guess?’

The other man — Lee Chan — reached out to shake Seungkwan’s hand as well, a bright, sunny grin spreading across his small face. “Lee Chan, but you probably already figured that out. I’m a year younger than you. It’s a pleasure to be working with you!”

Seungkwan turned to his parents, face covered in disbelief. “He’s  _ sixteen _ .”

“Yes.”

“W-what— well, why isn’t he in school?”

“With all due respect, Your Highness,” Lee Chan interrupted, “I graduated top of my class, despite my short stature and young age.”

“He’s— well, he’s a prodigy,” Seungcheol said, still petting Jeonghan’s hair. “Skipped a couple of grades, beat everyone else at the special training school for people who want to work for us — and still retained his innocence!” Seungcheol smiled at Seungkwan. “He’ll be a good friend, I promise.”

Jihoon chose that moment to walk through the doors to Seungkwan’s room. “Time to go.”

Seungkwan nodded, turning to grab a few of the many suitcases scattered throughout his room. As he reached the door, Jeonghan grabbed his hand, face soft and pleading. “Be safe,” he told Seungkwan, tears rising in his dark eyes.

“I will,” Seungkwan promised, before following Jihoon and leaving his room — and the palace — for the last time.

◈ ◈ ◈

“Yah— it’s not fair,” Sungyeon whined, watching with contempt as Mingyu, Chan and a few other servants loaded Seungkwan’s luggage onto the plane. “I’m the one that wants to go and live overseas, and  _ he’s  _ the one that gets to go? Why couldn’t I have been in the arranged marriage instead?”

Jeonghan sighed, looking at Sungyeon with perhaps a bit more exhaustion and condescension than he would have liked. “We’ve already discussed this, Sungyeon. Prince Vernon is gay, and he didn’t want this marriage either, so we offered Seungkwan to make it easier on the both of them.”

Sungyeon huffed out a breath, crossing her arms and turning away. “You never know,” she muttered, just barely loud enough for Jeonghan to hear, “maybe he’s bi.”

The servants loaded the last suitcase onto the plane. “Guess that’s my cue to leave,” Seungkwan said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. (From the concerned looks his parents gave him, it wasn’t working.) “I’ll make sure to keep in touch.” He tried to lift the corners of his mouth into a smile, but it felt more like a grimace. 

“FaceTime us every day, okay?” Jeonghan gripped Seungcheol’s hand tighter, tight enough that Seungkwan could see Seungcheol’s hand turning white in Jeonghan’s vice grip. “Don’t forget about us while you’re off exploring the Americas.” Seungkwan saw Jeonghan’s smile, brilliantly white and blinding, but he also saw the unshed tears in Jeonghan’s eyes, and heard the way Jeonghan’s voice shook on ‘Americas.”

Seungkwan took Jeonghan’s free hand — gently, softly — and murmured, “Of course, Papa,” while brushing his thumb over Jeonghan’s knuckles, something he’d always seen Seungcheol do when Jeonghan was stressed or worried.

Someone called Seungkwan from the plane, and with a sigh he let go of Jeonghan’s hand, bidding farewell to Seungcheol and Sungyeon. Vernon was waiting for him at the top of the stairs leading to the door of the plane, and his hand was outstretched, palm up. To escort him in, maybe? Whatever the case, Seungkwan ignored it, following Vernon inside after he’d dropped both his hand and the pleasant smile that had been plastered on his face moments before. Vernon sat near the front of the plane, his earnest brown eyes telling Seungkwan to sit next to him. (Truth be told, Seungkwan almost gave in — Vernon might be the person he had been forced into marrying, and Seungkwan might have resented him for that, but  _ damn _ was he hot.)

Seungkwan walked to the very back of the plane, plopping down in the last row. Mingyu and Chan came to sit with him, one on either side. The plane took off as soon as the rest of the guard had filed in and taken a seat somewhere, the roar of the plane’s engine quickly replaced with a gentle hum as they reached cruising altitude.

“How long is the flight?” Seungkwan asked, the question directed at no one in particular. 

“About ten hours,” Mingyu replied, pulling some things out of the bag at his feet. He handed them — an eye mask and a blanket — to Seungkwan. “I advise that you get some rest now, to prevent jetlag once we arrive.”

Seungkwan accepted them gratefully — he’d woken up at five in the morning to finish packing, of course he was tired — and quickly fell into an uneasy, dreamless slumber. He woke up just as the plane touched down, mouth cottony and mind clogged with sleep. Mingyu and Chan nearly had to drag him through baggage claim and immigrations, Vernon translating everything for them. He fell asleep again on the ride to the palace, and stumbled to help everyone unpack once they arrived, vision blurry with sleep. 

“There are servants to unpack for us,” Vernon pointed out, crossing his arms by the doorway to the huge palace. 

Seungkwan tripped on one of the many steps leading to the door, nearly faceplanting before catching both himself and two of the suitcases he was dragging with him. “My dad always said that we as rulers should be able to do anything our subjects can do for us,” Seungkwan said, carrying on without stopping to catch his breath, “otherwise we are unfit to rule.”

“Your father is a wise man, and an even better king,” Vernon conceded, walking with Seungkwan and directing him to the right room. The room was nice — navy blue themed, white curtains and lamps glowing with soft yellow light, golden embroidery sparkling on the sheets of the bed — but Seungkwan barely had any time to take in its beauty before he collapsed on the bed, completely drained. His eyes fluttered shut, and he was teetering on the edge of sleep when he felt another weight join him on the bed. 

Needless to say, his eyes snapped open, adjusting to the dark of the room in a matter of seconds. 

Seungkwan whipped around on the bed, coming face to face with Vernon. “You can’t sleep in the same bed as me!”

“We’re married,” Vernon reminded him softly, and, oh — he wasn’t wearing a shirt. (Objectively, Vernon’s chest might have been even nicer to look at than his face — expanses of smooth skin was taut over lean, corded muscles, the barest hint of abs visible beneath the duvet.) “We’re supposed to sleep together.”

Seungkwan let out a shaky breath, then turned back around. “As long as you stick to your side,” he replied, voice muffled in the soft pillow, “I’ll stick to mine, and it’ll be like the other isn’t even here.”

Vernon gave a quiet agreement, and Seungkwan could feel him shift on the cushy mattress. It was fine. This was fine. 

Seungkwan let his eyes close again, but he was all too aware of the way Vernon was inches away from him, of the pattern of his breaths, steady and even to really fall asleep.

This was  _ not _ fine. Not at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> filler but good filler  
> (i hope)


End file.
